She Caught Me and She Kept Me
by Nixxii-Cullen
Summary: Completely AU. Hunter had a life before Morgan. And it's about to Catch up with him. Set After Nights Child
1. Chapter 1 : It's Not your Fault

Disclaimer - I do not own sweep or any of her characters, just most of the plot and the wonderful of Ms. Stacie Courceau

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"I Understand. Yeah, thanks Sky." Stacie hung up the phone and through herself onto her large oak four-poster bed and sighed.

Five minutes her peace and quiet had lasted. She had let her youngest daughter go to Europe for the summer, her eldest son had moved to the city with his new wife and life seemed ok.

But of course there comes Chloe, Stacie's rebellious pain-in-the-ass. She was supposed to be traveling round France and mountain climbing in Ireland, but instead she had visited the one person that Stacie truly hated.

In Ireland she had found out that her father was living there with his new woman and their daughter.

Of course Stacie knew nothing about either of theses things as he had been presumed dead for 16 years.

Sky, her best friend from her childhood had rung to tell her this, and in return Stacie would fly out to Ireland to collect Chloe and bring her home.

The worst part of this would be seeing him for the first time in years.

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Hunter wiped his hands on his jeans and looked out the window for the thousandth time that morning.

Three hours ago, his cousin had rung to tell him that an old friend would be flying out to see him.

She had left no name or any clue who this person would be, however the way she had said it made hunter think he should be very worried.

There was a creaking sound on the stairs and he turned to see this daughter stood there. She looked as worried as he did and yet still calm and cool. A feat she had no doubt inherited from her Mother.

Her older brother sat on the couch opposite him and was looking between them, as if trying to see all the similarities they possess. He git up and went into the kitchen to find Morgan.

Morgan sat at the dining room table, staring into space. Hunter hung his head and sat down across from her. He didn't know how to look her in the eye when he knew that all he was going to see was pain.

"Morgan, I'm sorry . I just, well it doesn't seem right, I was stringing you along. I couldn't do it. As soon as she arrived I knew. I couldn't keep doing this. I'm sorry" he tried to explain but the words just wouldn't fit into place. I wasn't sure what he was sorry for, was it that he didn't feel the same anymore? Or that he never stopped feeling anything for someone else?

Morgan looked straight at him and opened her mouth as if to say something but thought better about it. She did it again, but this time she spoke,

"It's not your fault-" she was cut off by the roar of an engine at the front of the house. Suddenly everyone was out of their seats and at the front door, just in time to see silver astin martin pull up in the front yard


	2. Chapter 2 : 16 Years

Thanks to my First reviewer spazzysassyangel, heres the update :) just ti make it clear this will follow the rough time line of Sweep and will include most major happenings !! Please enjoy and review ;)

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Oh and BTW Reviews give you a special place in my little head and you will receive virtual candy hehehehehehehehehe (author goes insane)

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The world stopped spinning for just one moment when she stepped out of that car.

The was no way that he was expecting to her like that. As she swung her legs out of that car, Hunter's mind went blank.

She stood up straight and looked around, her body and face the epitome of youth and beauty. No wrinkle nor blemish had dared mare her face, her body still perfectly in proportion and toned.

She wore black skinny jeans, tucked into lace up leather boots, a white baby -doll top under a fitted black jacket.

Her hair had been dyed black, a polar opposite of the white blonde she was naturally , and hung loosely in curls down her back.

Hunter didn't realise that he was staring until he felt someone nudge him the ribs. He whispered to Josh and Chloe with a serious look. "Not a Word"

Chloe ran over see her mother and both were staring at hunter with an amused look on their faces. He couldn't ait to hear what they'd been saying about him.

He could feel someone's eyes on his back and looked round to see Morgan stood in the doorway, she looked and him with a weak smile, before nodding at the girls and retreating back into the house.

Hunter sighed and motioned for the rest to follow.

They sat down in the living room in an awkward silence for around five minutes before Hunter looked up and said

"So, Stacie how long have you known that I've been alive?"

All eyes turned to her as she looked blankly out of the window

"Oh I don't know, about sixteen years"

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AN/ Sorry its so short but I'm having a bit of writers block at the moment. Any and all reviews welcome :) _Nixxy xx _


	3. Chapter 3 : Thats my job

The tension in the room was so thick that Chloe thought that her head was about to explode.

Her mother had known that her father was alive for nearly all of her life and yet, she had neglected to tell her. But somehow she couldn't be angry at her, she knew that her mother had her reasons, she just had to wait a while before she found them out.

She was sat in the guest bedroom that she had been staying in, with her bags packed in front of her. Her mother stood at the window, still staring, while her father sat on a chair in the far end of the room. Suddenly though;

"I'll wait downstairs for you, I cant take this silence anymore" Stacie walked out of the room quickly followed by Hunter.

Chloe sighed and walked across to the room opposite hers, where her half-sister Moira stood. They exchanged a meaningful glance and then proceeded down the stairs.

When Chloe emerged from the upstairs of the house , with her bags packed, Stacie rose from her chair and took them wordlessly to the car.

When she returned Chloe, Hunter and Moira were conversing in hushed tones, which ceased as they heard her footsteps on the floor. She leaned up against the doorframe and raised her eyebrows,

"I'm not stupid, I know when someone's talking about me, so spill." they all exchanged nervous glances before Chloe started,

"Well I thought that, seen as I have only just found out that I have a half sister and a dad that's still alive, -"

"And I have just come back from an island in which my being there has deprived me of sixteen years of both my daughters lives," Hunter continued

"And I thought that it would be good for me to find out more about this extended family, that I just found out that I have -" Moira quickly followed her father,

"We thought that maybe, if it was okay with you, that they could come stay with us in New York for a while" Chloe finished off.

Stacie stood silently for a moment before replying

"I'm going to pretend that I considered that for a moment ," she paused "No"

Chloe protested immediately ;

"But mom, I'm supposed to be bonding here, but your pulling me away, so why cant I have them come with me"

"Oh you misunderstand me, I don't mind them coming with us, I was saying no to the next sentence that was coming out your mouths, you know the one where you tell me that its important for Morgan to come with too. That is a complete No. but I guess that's a deal breaker then really, so I guess that means no to every one. Oh well. Shall we go ?" she looked at the three stunned faces in front of her.

This time Moira spoke up, "Well yeah she would have to come with but only because I cant really leave the country without her and it would make it easier than running up humungous international phone bills when I want to speak to her."

"Okay listen Munchkin, I am not letting that woman stay in my house so you can all sit around and play happy families, got it. Now don't get me wrong, I like you, really nothing against you. But I _hate your_ mother. You two," she pointed at Hunter and Moira "are very welcome, but not your mother. Full stop."

Hunter had stood up at this point, and the girls took this as their cue to leave.

Stacie stood up straight and looked him in the eye. He walked up towards her, looked down at her.

Even in her 6 inch Versace heeled boots, he still towered above her, leaning over her, he whispered into her ear, "there is no happy family here, not anymore" and he kissed her, not a small peck, but a fast passionate one, where he pressed her up against the door frame and leaned his body against hers. As quickly as it had started, he pulled away and left the room.

Stacie let out a sigh and sank to the floor, as her knees had betrayed her. Here she was nearly 40 years old and still getting weak-kneed whenever Hunter Niall was around her,she felt like she was 18 again.

Except this time he had another child with a woman she hated and had just told her that they were not the picture of perfection that Sky had painted out. She pulled out her mobile phone and dialed,

"Allie, I am going to kill your brother, ... Why! Please when have I ever needed a reason, ...Okay Okay calm down! Jesus sweetie those pregnancy hormones really do stick in your system ! Well he's just convince me to allow that stupid little slut stay with us , oh and her brat. ...Please trust me, you really don't want to know how he did. You'll kill him, and that's my job.

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Okay bit longer this time, please Review . Review --Virtual candy... you catch my drift ha ha Author goes slightly mad


	4. Chapter 4 : Cerrado

The plane touched down in New York at about 6AM, two days later, three bodies heavier than Stacie had originally planned. It had taken them seven hours to convince her that Morgan coming back with them as not as bad as she thought. After a long conversation with Hunter on the back of the plane. She was told of how Morgan and Hunter had made a go of it for about 18 months. After Chloe had showed up and told him about her, they had drifted apart and broken off their engagement. She didn't bother listening to the details as her mind kept wondering back to the kiss in back in Ireland.

X

They arrived at the house about an hour later after being picked up by Stacie's town car. The drive had been as quiet as the plane ride, with only a few whispered acknowledgements along the way. As they arrived she heard Moira gasp audibly in the back of the car. She supposed her house was kind of impressive. it was a three story town house, specially built to compliment the villa she had in Italy.

It had all the traditional structures that they would have in Italy but Stacie had added her own Manhattan twists and made it her own. It had twelve bedrooms and seven bathrooms and an indoor and outdoor swimming pool. It stood five miles outside of widows vale, on its own private land with stables round the far end.

They unloaded their bags and took them into the house. Stacie, ever the gracious host, offered everyone a drink while the maid took their bags to their respective rooms. Stacie had never been waited on hand and foot, but she valued having extra help around the house, especially when the kids were growing up and she had no father living with her.

Looking round her main sitting area she saw that Chloe had already got her phone out and was texting, probably to tell the world that Chloe Naill was back and badder than ever. Smiling inwardly stacie turned her attention to Moira, who had sunk into a chair and was still looking around in amazement.

Her and Chloe were so different. Chloe had always been encouraged to do what she wanted when she wanted, like stacie had been, as long as it was within the law. With Moira, she had been raised to be controlled, to be told what to do, with no spontaneity or wild side.

She took after her Mother while Chloe was a pure daddy's girl through and through. Sitting down as elegantly as possible in her short pencil skirt, she settled into a large overstuffed chair. The room was quiet as though they were scared to speak. she exchanged a look with Hunter and they nodded.

"Rite, guy's we're gonna go make dinner. Does anybody have any special requests that they would like ?" she looked around at the blank faces facing her "Any suggestions on what you want?" she looked around the blank faces "No, Okay burritos it is " and she left to go to the kitchen while muttering under her breath in spanish. "Me inclino creen que les dejo quedarse en mi casa, el estúpido desagradecido -"

"I speak spanish remember" Hunter called after her

"I didn't mean you" and she slammed the door.

Chloe looked up at her father and smirked "Su en problema grande ahora hombre"

"Cerrado"

AN/ sorry i don't speak Spanish so i had to have a friend translate for me. if anyone wants to be my personal translator then i would eternally grateful :)

just to clear it up - Stacie is Spanish/Italian (weird i know) so I'm going to be putting a few quips in Spanish/ Italian so please excuse

Translation

Stacie - I can't believe I'm letting them stay, that ungrateful stupid-

Chloe - Your in big trouble now man

Hunter - Shut up


	5. Chapter 5 : I Have A Plan

Chapter 5

After three days of ignoring both Morgan and the devil child, Stacie got a call from the New Charters head office in New York. They wanted her to bring Hunter in to see them the next day. she eventually agreed,but was determined to but her foot down when they asked for Morgan to be brought with them. She had not had a moment alone with Hunter since they had arrived, and this was a perfect opportunity to get him alone within the city. She was not going to ruin it by bringing enemy no 1. She agreed to bring Hunter but sadi that Morgan would have to stay behind as the girls need supervision.

Not necessarily true as Chloe was nearly 19 but that didn't need to be made obvious. Stacie made her way into the dining room where everyone was sat eating breakfast. Hunter was reading The New York Times and sipping his coffee, while his oldest daughter was texting beside him wearing the same type of pained expression. Next to her sat Moira who was pushing her food around on the plate, while shooting glances at Morgan on the other side of the table. She smiled and picked up a plate placing next to Hunter.

Then she leaned over his head so her chest was pressed up against his back, and fished throught the papers that he was still reading.

"Yoink!" she pulled out the entertainment section and sat down next to him.

"I was reading that" he said not looking up from the business section.

Stacie raised her eyerbrow at him and turned the front page of the paper so it was facing the rest of the room.

" yeah 'cos you were so interested in finding out who this months most eligible bachelor is" she heard a giggle escape from Moira before she turned back to her breakfast, again looking solemn. Wondering what was wrong, she asked the table at large " What's everyone doing this weekend?"

"Going out with Nathan" Chloe perked up at the notion of talking about her long-term boyfriend Nathan DiCasa, who she met while on a school trip to Sicily Two years ago. Stacie would wish that he would just hurry up and propose to her as she was getting sick of the constant placing of bridal magazines on the living room table whenever Nathan was due for a visit, as just a small hint.

Stacie rolled her eyes at your youngest child and looked towards Moira in expectance. She looked up at them all and sighed "Well, I was thinking of going to this new place that Chloe was telling me about in the city, but Mum said that I wasn't allowed, so I'm stayin in this weekend"

There was a stony silence at the end her sentence as this was obviously something that the two had argued over. However Stacie realised that this would be a perfect opportunity for her to try and make an impression with her daughters half-sister.

"Well why don't you come to New York with me. I have to go to a meeting at Headquarters this Friday and I'm staying till Monday Morning, so you could stay at my hotel suite with me. It has separate bedrooms so you wouldn't need to share." she looked at the young girl and smiled, she looked like Christmas had come early, but with a look from Morgan she went back to her bacon.

"Erm…. Thanks but I think I'd better stay here and do some …. Erm ….Homework…Sorry… Thanks though." Stacie Smiled sweetly and then took her plate to the sink.

"Homework? When you aren't at school" Hunter enquired

"It's fine, but the offer there if you decide that you want to come then your always welcome." Stacie leaned back against the work surface and smiled. "Well at least I will have some company this weekend," she looked towards Hunter and He quirked his eyebrow at her "the Suits up in head office want to meet you and told me to bring you up to New York with me." Hunter looked at her and frowned

"and I don't get a choice in this do I ?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

A buzzing sound alerted them to her cell phone, on the table in front of Hunter.

"Probably Nick" Chloe said looking at her Mum with raised eyebrows.

"Who's Nick?" Hunter and Moira asked almost instantaneously.

"No-one" she said walking slowly back to the table. The phone continued to ring and Hunter took a sideways glance at Stacie before reaching out for the phone.

She lunged for it, but Hunter got there first, flipped open the cover and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello, Ms. Courceau's Phone. How may I help?" Grinning wildly he pushed Stacie's flying arm's away while keeping her phone against his ear. After the seventh whack across the head he finally hung up on the caller and handed it back to Stacie.

"Josh said he'd call you back later"

She hit him again.

xx xxxxxxxx

Chloe was walking through the closet in her bedroom with her music blasting in on her laptop, when a knock on her bedroom door brung he rout of her Gucci-induced day-dream. She walked over to open the doors, only to be faced with her little sister.

"Moira! Hi I thought that you weren't- erm never mind that. Come in!" she opened the door wider and allowed her into the room. Moira walked around Chloe's room and nodded, then the noticed the open closet on the far side of the room. "Is that your closet?" pointing towards the double doors.

"erm yeah it is. You - er - wanna have a look?" Chloe had never really hung around with someone who wasn't accustomed to her lifestyle before , never mind a younger sister. She wasn't really that sure on what to do.

"Yeah okay." they stepped silently into her walk-in wardrobe and she heard moira audibly gasp. She couldn't help but be a little big smug about her wardrobe. There wasn't a single piece of clothing in there that wasn't designer or especially made for her only. Her mothers influence in the fashion industry had helped her made numerous connections, which led to a collection of probably the most unique closet. Moira was walking down the aisles running her hands over the different colours and fabrics. "This . Is . Amazing! How did you get these?"

Shrugging she straightened out the shoes which stretched out against the far wall,

"Famous Mum, Good Connections and a very very good friend who works at the London, paris and Milan fashion Weeks."

"Their all gorgeous"

"You can try some on if you want"

"Really?"

"well , er, yeah that's what sisters do right? Swap clothes and stuff" Chloe really wanted to get on with Moira, despite the dispute between their mothers.

"Yea, Yeah they do. So erm …. What can I try?" she looked towards the shelf of neatly folded jeans and shirts.

"Anything you want. Actually, erm, what size are you ?"

Moira looked Chloe up and down taking in the perfect sized waist and proportional chest before mumbling so quietly that chloe had to ask her again.

"I said … I'm a 10" looking self conscious she turned away from the mirrored wall. Chloe didn't understand what the big deal was, she was an 8 and she had been on the runway and in teen vogue.

"erm… okay …. Hope you don't take offense but whats wrong with that?"

Fiddling with the ribbons on a particularly bright summer dress, Moira replied "well nothing huge, but I just realised that you must have nothing what would fit me in here"

Chloe nearly laughed out loud when she realised what she was thinking.

"Your kidding me right? Half this wardrobe is a 10 or above. Listen I'm not one of those stick thin models who don't eat and look down on all those who do. I mean look at me ! I eat like a pig!" she raised her hand to object as Moira opened her mouth "now I don't want to hear another word, so grap this and try it on" she threw a Galliano Smock dress at her and ushered her to a small area surrounded by a screen.

xxxxxxxxxx

As the girls lay on the floor of Chloe's bedroom Moira Suddenly broke the silence,

"I think we should get your mum and our dad back together" Chloe nearly broke her neck as she turned to face her sister.

"What!!, are you being serious?"

"Yeah, I mean, lets face it He ain't getting back with my mum anytime soon, so why not"

"I don't know, I mean the only memory of them together I have is when I was three and it just seems weird"

"Fair enough but they clearly like each other again so…." she waved her arms in the air, as if to demonstrate her point.

"Yeah we could. But how?"

"well my mum's going back to Ireland on Tuesday, some thing to do with Katrina and the coven, so why don't we use this trip to New York as the perfect way to get Hunter to stay here with us"

Chloe sat up and looked down at her estranged sister and grimaced, "well in case you haven't noticed you have to go with her "

"Nope. I have a plan" an evil grin smiled back up at Chloe.

"You know your more like me than I thought"

"I'll take that as a complement."


	6. Start Of Something New

Chapter 6

That night the two girls emerged from Chloe room about three hours later, after crafting a plan which was almost perfect. They made their way into the study where Stacie sat typing up what looked like a very frustrating letter. She looked up as they entered and raised an eyebrow, Chloe knew never to interrupt her when she was working.

"Hi mum, sorry to interrupt but we thought that you'd want to know as soon as. We had a thought that, as you and dad were going to be away for a while, that Josh could come stay with us." Stacie's eyebrow rose even further, "but then we thought, why drag him all way from Massachusetts when we could simply come with you!" by now Stacie looked like she was trying to hold back laughter.

"And this was so important that you had to interrupt me while working, why?"

"well now you don't have to be stuck with dad for the entire time, well only 'till Monday, 'cause we cant come down 'till Morgan's left." Chloe looked at her like she was insane, while Stacie studied her back with an identical expression. This was making the least bit of sense but she decided to go along with it to humor her daughter.

"Okay then, but I'll still be, as you put it, 'Stuck' with your father for three days. How do you know he'll still be alive when you get there?" She was surprised to see that neither girl looked the least bit fazed.

"I guess that's a risk we're willing to take"

X x x x x x

Stacie and Chloe sat in the car outside JFK Airport listening to some very bad country music on a local radio station. Hunter and Moira were currently saying goodbye to Morgan in the waiting room as she waited to board her flight back to Ireland. Stacie had already been to New York with Hunter, to meet Wicca's own Board of Directors and they had returned to Stacie's house in the suburbs to pick the girls up and give Morgan a lift to the airport. The trip itself had been fairly uneventful.

During the day the Suits had fawned over Hunter like he was a medical miracle, and he had regaled the group with various anecdotes about his time on the Island. And when they were alone the two former lovers never exchanged more than polite conversation. They atmosphere in the town house in uptown Manhattan was never tense or thick with sexual frustration, more a common understanding that nothing was going to happen while they were both so new to being in each others company again.

But the nights were amazing. Stacie had sat out on the Balcony looking over at the New York skyline with a bottle of red wine, and Hunter would eventually join her with his own bottle of scotch and they would sit and talk drunkenly until there was nothing left to do but to look at each other. Those were the moments that she loved, were the whole world would disappear as she looked into those almost too-blue eyes, and she could sink back into a place were she was 19 again and they were still together and a family. For hours they would do that, until the pink in the sky would tell them that the day was coming, that they had to revert back into their current selves and resume their positions in society. Her as the perfect role-model, mother and business woman and he as they lost-and-found prodigal father and all round hero.

xxxx

Chloe was tapping on the back of the drivers seat trying to get her mothers attention and pull her out of what seemed to be a _very_ pleasant day-dream.

"Moommmmm?" she drawled out when Stacie finally turned around to show her child some attention. Stacie groaned, whenever she uses that tone, it was a sign that her bank balance was about to take a beating.

"Yeessssss?" she replied in an equally annoying way.

"Can Nathan come over to the apartment this week please?" Okay so not the question Stacie was expecting, but shocking nonetheless. Nathan had never stayed with them at the house - or anywhere else for that matter- Chloe had always gone to his place. Stacie suddenly felt a bit hot under the collar.

"Erm… well I don't know. I mean with your father here it might be a bit crowded" She took a sip of her coffee to try and look neutral.

"Well not really, Me and Nathan can share my room, Moira can have the guest room and You and Dad can have your room" Stacie nearly sprayed her coffee over the wind shield of the car as Chloe looked on amused. The thought of sharing a room with Hunter had crossed her mind more than a few times over the last few days, but the idea that her daughter - her 19-year-old daughter - had been thinking along the same lines was more than a little disturbing.

"Er … I don't think so. Your dad can sleep on the couch, and Nathan can sleep in the guest room," she raised a hand as Chloe tried to complain, "Chloe, you invited Moira as your guest first, you are not kicking her out so you can have your boyfriend over" Chloe sat back in her seat and huffed "Fine!"

After fine minutes in an awkward silence between the mother and daughter Moira and Hunter returned to the car, and slid into their respective seats, unaware of the tension between the two. Smiling at them she revved up the engine and steered out of the car park towards the centre of the city. They rode in a partially comfortable silence, asking only polite questions when they felt they had remained quite for too long. Chloe however sat in a sulk while looking out of the window at the passing buildings. They stopped of at a café in Manhattan to grab a quick lunch on the way to the house. They sat at a cubicle opposite the counter and looked at the menus in silence. Occasionally Stacie would see Chloe and Moira exchange covert glances, almost as if they were communicating silently, which within their world was not out of the question. But she sensed nothing between them. A waitress in her mid-twenties came over and took their orders. They ordered their sandwiches and drinks, handing back their menus.

"So……" Hunter tapped the table top distractedly and looked around at the three girls.

"Yeah…" Stacie answered back.

"This is awkward. Why are none of us speaking?" Moira said bluntly. She had the same knack as Hunter for pointing something out that no one else in the room wanted to acknowledge. They all looked at each other before blurting out some lame excuse to their individual silence.

"I've been tired I guess. You know , 'All Work And No Play'." Stacie Murmured.

"Still a bit swamped about the whole New Charter thing I guess." Hunter hung his head and Moira attention turned to Chloe. "Well how 'bout you"

"Me? Nothing, Just tired I guess." With a glance in her mothers direction, Chloe had already deduced that their earlier conversation was not something that she was willing to go over again. Seeming to be satisfied with their answers Moira simply sat back and looked out into the busy city, watching the pedestrians as they went along with their daily routine; Smartly dressed Men and Woman making business calls on the way into the office oblivious to the world; young women clinging to their designer shopping bags while clutching their Starbuck's coffee, Hoping it will sustain them until they reached the next shop and their feet would have a rest from the ridiculously high designer heels; The odd Mother trying to control the herd of children that seemed to surround her, while looking around for the nearest place to feed the hungry tykes.

It made Stacie remember when she had been like that. At one stage or another she had been one of them, always having a purpose, a goal she had yet to reach, whether it was a Business target, the last pair of Manolo Blaniks in Bloomingdales or making sure that both her children were given the exact amount of attention by _both_ of their parents, that they deserved.

All that time she had prayed to the goddess herself for a day where she would have no worries and could snuggle up with an amazing guy and just _be._ However now that she two very grown children, who didn't need to depend on her, and a business that practically ran itself, she felt almost unwanted. For the first time in her life she wished she could go back fifteen years and be that woman with no time again. She thought back to a conversation that her and Sky had, a few Months ago,

_Stacie trailed into her Living room in her London apartment and slouched down onto the sofa, lifting her feet onto the coffee table, where they rested next to her best friend's. She passed another glass of wine to the other woman and drank from her own, savouring the taste in her mouth before swallowing. _

"_So she just up and left?" Sky asked disbelievingly for the fourth time that night. Stacie sighed and nodded again, "No 'Hi Mom I'm going to Europe for the summer, see in three months', or 'Mom can I take your car to France if I promise I wont Wreck it'?" More nodding from Stacie. _

"_Nothing, Just a note, a missing SUV and a phone call from Josh saying that he was glad that Chloe was starting to stand on her own two feet. She just left without a word for her dear old Mum" _

"_Goddess" Sky exclaimed. She had got the call that Chloe was gone a few hours previous and had driven down as soon as she could. She was planning to pay a visit to her old friend anyway, but for a slightly different reason. One that she doubted would be welcome under the current circumstances. _

"_Yup, that's my daughter. God I can't believe that she would do this! She has school in September and god knows how she's going to find a place to live if she's on a beach in the Greek Islands." She took another sip of wine, hoping that it would dull the ache in her heart. She wasn't going to lie, the fact that her daughter did not think it relevant to tell her mother where she was going or how long for, had truly stung her . She had always thought they were closer than that. _

" _She could have at least rung you herself" Sky said, not being able to find the words to console her friend at this point. _

"_You know , its not that she didn't tell me. Since when has she told me about all of her escapades? I'm happy that she's finding her own way. It's about time, I had a son and a high paying job by the time I was her age." they shared a chuckle. It was a running joke between them that she was not too young of a mother or career-woman, it was the fact that everyone else was simply too old. " I think its more that , when Chloe was here I had something to do, something I was responsible for. Now she's gone I don't have to think about anyone or anything. It's all about me know." She drained her glass and set it down on the coffee table, before turning her body to face Sky. _

"_And why is that a bad thing?" Sky asked with raised eyebrows. _

"_It's not I guess. But it hasn't been just me for nearly Twenty-four years. Its kind of weird, like I don't know what to do now I'm alone. There's nothing for me anymore." _

"_Whoa !! Back up ! You've got loads. Don't you go saying that." _

"_Oh I don't mean it like that. I mean that a few months ago I would have given anything to be single and responsibility free again…."_

"_..But now you have it , you don't really want that anymore." Sky finished for her. _

"_Yeah that's about it. I need a new project, something to keep my mind off it. Something I know and can improve on." she had a million plans when she was younger, about what she wanted to do, but know they all seemed tedious and unworthy. _

"_Well how about designing again? You made some good money doing that when you were younger." Sky reminisced. Stacie had built a studio in her old Manhattan apartment, where has would sit and make clothes for hours. It was never a career path but a simple hobby that had attracted more than a few famous friends. Before long she had made a lot of money from designing clothes for Rich socialites whom wanted to wear something more Unique, rather than wear the expected designer labels. By the time she was 20 it had become a fully-fledged business but she soon got pregnant with her second child and the dream ended there. The Money was always good but she knew from past experience that she needed to focus 100 percent on the child she was carrying. _

"_Yeah I could, that was fun. But it wasn't about Money, it was about doing something that came naturally to me." _like magic_ she thought, Magic was always a part of her something that flowed through her veins, to her very core. She had always had trouble accepting her true potential as a witch, but sometimes it just came to her, and the result was always amazingly beautiful or bone-shockingly terrible. _

"_Sometimes the most natural thing in the world is the hardest thing also" Stacie knew that they were not just talking about career choices now, but the whole situation that surrounded her. Her magic was, to her, More brilliant than everything- bar her Children- but to others it was terrifying and sometimes dangerous . _

Stacie was snapped back to reality when a plate was placed by the young waitress in front of her. She picked up her fork and ate in silence, listening to the chatter between the other three, mingled with hustle of the city in the background. It made Stacie more relaxed than she had been in a long time. Maybe she should take Sky's advice and start again. Looking up at Hunter who was engrossed in a debate with his two children, she smiled, She knew exactly where she going to start.

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AN// Yay Longest chapter yet :)

Reviews = Love

Any feedback welcome, even bad stuff (Although i may cry)

_Nixxii x x_


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